Orson Hyde taught that he was the bridegroom at the wedding at Cana, and Brigham Young apparently endorsed Hyde's statements. Orson Pratt thought Mary and Martha were His wives, as did Joseph F. Smith. Some people have surmised that since marriage is a requirement for exaltation, is follows that Jesus must have been married.

Poking around the web, I gather the LDS' position is negative--consigned, I guess, to the "I don't know if we ever taught that" avoidance mechanism.

I'd be interested in what you folks have experienced in this matter. If possible, specify when you were, or were not, taught this, and the nature of the person, authority, or source.

This teaching was presented, at least to me (I started LDS in mid-60s), just as you mentioned in the Mo never-never in betweenland, somewhere between official & teacher conjecture.

btw, the other vector of LDS semi-denial is 'Its not important to your. personal salvation/exaltation'

yes

You mean to tell me he was not married. I was taught he had to be married because he was setting an example for all of us to follow.

I was positively taught in PM, SS, and Seminary that not only was Jesus married, but that he was polygamously married. Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene were his wives and that the wedding at Cana was one of his weddings.

It was taught that it was necessary for him to be polygamously married to reach the top level of the CK (as it is for everyone).

This was taught multiple times in multiple settings as noted above. This was in the late 60s and early 70s, with occasional mentions into the late 70s.

I have no idea what is or isn't taught now as I haven't attended a Mormon meeting in over 30 yrs.

I read about it but it wasnt taught in my ward when I was a child and teen. I havent attended since the late 60s so I have no idea whether it is taught now.

I was taught in numerous LDS venues that Jesus was very likely married. Perhaps he was. I no longer have an opinion.

Yes, and that he had three wives. Just like my great grandpa.

I was never taught it as being factual. More like, I heard it being speculated about.

Mormonism has it's own handful of "pious myths" outside of her doctrine.

This conjecture is one of those.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2018 05:24AM by angela.

Same here. I was never "taught" that Jesus was married at any time during my 40 years in the church. There was speculation...but never taught.

Yes, I was taught that in YSA Institute in 2004 or 2005. One of my classmates asked if Jesus was married, and my teacher said that he was for without it, he wouldn't receive exaltation.
I found that strange - I mean considering the sacrifice we were taught he made that would not be enough for him to get exalted? Especially if this man was god himself in the flesh? It made zero sense to me. But as a fairly new member I didn't openly question this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2018 05:37AM by severedpuppetstrings.

It makes sense to me he was married, because that was the Jewish custom. His disciples and apostles were married with families. Yet only one of their wives is mentioned expressly in scripture. They didn't chronicle their marriages or children.

Jesus' closest female confidante was Mary Magdalene. She was the first person to see him from the tomb. She was with his mother at the cross. If he was married, it is logical she was his betrothed.

It is open to speculation because it is not documented either way.

I was never "taught" that Jesus was married, although there was some speculation among members that he might have been. To me, Mormons were the only people who thought he might be married, although there's no evidence either way.

My friend who was a Mormon convert back in the 70s mentioned to me at the time that there was a strong possibility that Jesus was married (most likely to Mary Magdalene.) I can tell you that this was something that the Catholics and my Protestant friends never even thought about.

I think it speaks about how highly marriage is viewed within the Mormon culture and how deeply it is woven into church theology.

Hold on to that Da Vinci sketch, I was taught in the 60s and 70s that Jesus was:

1. Married
2. A polygamist
3. Had children that walk among us today.

I remember being taught that since Jesus was a Rabbi, he was married because it's required to be married to become a Rabbi.

Not taught from the pulpit but speculated about a lot.

Some of those who considered themselves very learned and scholarly would usually postulate in Priesthood classes that Jesus had to be married but it had not been recorded specifically in the Bible because having a wife was not of great importance to the "plan" as women did not really figure in. Not that they were being misogynistic or anything . . . :)

Reminds me of the Disclaimers published when they had the "Answers to Gospel Questions" piece in the Ensign...(continuing or dis-continued?)....


the 'Answers' provided were couched as opinions/thoughts, not as official 'Church Doctrine' (as if there was such a thing, ha ha)

I’m always bemused by these kind of questions regarding what I regard as the in between, cultural doctrine of the church. I heard this discussed in Priesthood meetings MANY times, as a “fact” based on Christ coming to earth “to fulfill all things.” IMO, the only reason that these kind of culturally doctrines are not taught today is because of the church now being on its heels regarding its goofy, unconventional beliefs.

There are two means of LDS teachings—those that are more or less doctrines of the church codified in LDS scriptures, or through LDS culture.

I never heard through BYU religion classes or LDS Institute classes any teaching that Jesus was married. The times when the question came up were typically when discussion centered around D&C 132. During those few times, the instructors pointed out that it was okay to speculate that Christ was married as that was the pattern established by Heavenly Father. But, they pointed out, there were no official statements on the issue.

However, popular LDS culture openly taught what the above posters described. Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code is VERY popular in Mormon circles—mostly because it makes Catholicism look bad, supports LDS conspiracy theories about church apostasy, and agrees with LDS pop culture that Jesus and Mary Magdeline were a couple. The Institute Teacher’s Boner.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2018 12:11PM by BYU Boner.

That Jesus was married was discussed in my Institute class as an undergraduate at Boise State.

The teachers were convinced, and spent a good amount of classroom discussion regarding the subject.

Also recall hearing of it at least a couple times if not more in Sunday School classes over the years.

Hi Amyjo, I can see this happening, I don’t recall any profs or Institute teachers teaching it directly, and I’m sure they all personally held that he was married. This sort of fits in the category of Heavenly Mother. But, I think the church has been more direct with acknowledging their belief in Heavenly Mother than a scripturally-based married Jesus.

Was Jesus married? Considering the culture of the time, possibly. Hugs!

It's also possible the wives were not spoken of in scripture to protect their anonymity. Most of the apostles died as martyrs to their religion. It wasn't only Jesus who died a gruesome death.

I don't recall exactly but I know I've heard in some kind of church setting. It's one of those unofficial teachings in the church. Probably heard from fellow missionaries, a mission president, gospel doctrine teacher or something.

I believe it was preached by Brigham Young and other early LDS church leaders and hence carried on through the years as "deep doctrine" but, like many other LDS teachings, can be easily dismissed by TBM's today because it was never codified in scripture or official first presidency statements.

Sure. It seems that CES teachers taught that.

Lots of good thoughts backed up with personal recollections. Ex-Cult, I like the way you phrase it as "Deep Doctrine." This is consistent with the esoteric nature of cults, that certain teachings cannot be divulged to investigators, children, or new converts; this is more complex and profound than the "milk-before-meat" precept.

As a person "swallows" beliefs that are mildly toxic, he builds up a sort of "immunity" against more dangerous doses, and can accept more outrageous or injurious teachings. So things like the temple rituals and "the Principle" are kept out of sight until a person has fully accepted the belief that "the church is true" and "families are forever."

BYU-B & HieTwoKolob, you can see how this issue serves a special interest of mine. (No, folks, I'm very happy with just my one true love!)

I was taught this well into the 80's.
He was married for the same reason he was baptized.
One cannot gain exaltation without marriage.
Jesus is exalted.
Therefore Jesus was married.

I was also taught that he was married at the wedding at Cana, and that the large groups of people that would follow him around were his brides.

Several posters have remarked on the fairly common notion that the wedding at Cana was Jesus' own.* However, accounting for the "large groups of people" as members of his polygamous family groups is something new to me. Although it strikes me as somewhat rare folk Mormonism, it illustrates a concept I've heard about, but only vaguely, and thus I cannot substantiate:

The more wives a man has, the better his chances are for a higher exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom. Or, as I think I heard it once, "A man with ten wives is 10 times more likely to gain exaltation than a man with one wife." I've thrown that tidbit out on the forum a few times, but nobody ever responded to confirm or source that.

*A reasonable reading of the text strongly indicates that Jesus was a guest, and not the bridegroom. Goes to show what happens when you get lost stumbling in the darkness of "deep doctrine!"

Sure, a reasonable reading....

But we're talking about mormonism!

As the Dawg would surely tell you, Mormons believe the Bible “when it’s translated correctly.” Any part of it that reflects something contrary to Mormon doctrine is surely a purposefully wicked mistranslation from The Great Apostasy. James E. Talmage’s Boner.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2018 09:10PM by BYU Boner.

In the late 80s in seminary I was taught that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.

Jesus being a polygamist makes me laugh for some reason.

You and Jesus both.

Is this a cut down? Probably

I don't know if it was ever taught out of a manual, but I had several SS, seminary and institute teachers argue that he must have been.

I was taught that Jesus had three wives, just like my great grandpappy.

I wonder where the number three came from?

Strange philosophy to assign to someone we know so little about his love life.

Other than agape love (he loved everybody.) Eros love is all guesswork.

I was taught this by a Sunday School teacher given to fringe doctrine. I later read on my own, however, a quote from an early member from the founding period of the church that said that not only was Jesus married, but that Joseph Smith was a direct descendant. Sorry, I don't have the quote available, but will look around.

Nope. We didn't talk about Jesus much in our home.

ziller can comfirm this thed ~


yep ~ Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene ( common law married ) ~


in b 4 ~ "out of whom he cast seven devils" ~


in b 4 ~ Luke 8:2 ~


cuz he kissed her on the mouth ~ (srs) ~


in b 4 ~ < insert lost gospel reference > ~


in b 4 ~ an she got preggers ~


( cuz thats what happens when you kiss girls on the mouth ) ~


anyway ~


OK ~



brb ~ so after the resurrektion and all that ~



Mary Magdalene and the baby ( baby girl btw ) was escorted to the South of France and placed under the guard of the Knights Templar ~


in b 4 ~ long story < short ~


in b 4 ~ that baby girl is the HOLY GRAIL and her babies are the Royal House of Europe ~


thus continuing to fulfill the prophecy foretold in 2nd Samuel 7:16 ~


"And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever”

The four Ashkenazi women who migrated from the Middle East app 2,000 years ago does sort of beg the question: was Mary Magdalene among them? 40% of Europe's Ashkenazi Jews leading up to WWII descended from these four women.

I think it's a valid point to make that, to my knowledge, the church has never declared that Jesus did NOT get married during his 33 years of being flesh and blood.

No one ever declared, back in my 50s & 60s heyday, that Jesus never married. The supposition was that he did...

I remember being told by Sunday School teachers he most likely was married. I was also told the wine he drank was grape juice.

I was taught in church that he was married. The reasons we were taught was that all Jewish men his age were expected to be married, that he was setting an example for us, and that marriage is a requirement of the true gospel.